New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-12
THE STORY or THE ACCIDENT.
SUSPICION AGAINST ROBBERS.

SCENES IN THE WRECKED TRAIN.
CHICAGO, Aug ia dispatch to The Chicago Times
from Forest. Ill., says:
"All the railway horrors In the history OF this
country surpassed three miles east Of
last night whom excursion train the Toledo Peoria
and Western road dropped through burning bridge and
over one hundred people we're killed and four times that
number were less badly injured The train was
composed of six sleeping cars six day coaches and
chair cars three baggage 1t carried 96o pas
sengers and was bound for Niagara Falls The train
| had been made up all along the line OF
the Toledo, Peoria and Western road. and
the passengers hailed from various points in Central
Illinois, most of them. however, being from Peoria somo
of the passengers from Canton, Ell Paso Washing
ton and in fact all stations along the line; some from
as far West as Burlington and Keokuk Iowa. cheap
rate had been made for the and all sorts OF
peopc took advantage Of It. When the train left Peoria
at o'clock night 1t loaded to its utmost capac-
ty Every berth the six seepers was taken and the
day cars carried sixty persons EACH The train was so
heavy engines hitchei oit, and when 1t
passed this place au hour and half behind time
"Chatsworth the next station east OF here, is
six miles off, and tho run there was
mado in seven minutes, so the terrible
momentum Of those fifteen coaches and two engines,
shooting though space the rate OF mile minute can
be understood No stop made at Chatsworth Three
miles east OF Chatsworth is little slough where tho
railroad crosses dry run feet deep and fifteen
feet wide over this was stretched ordinary wooden
trese bridge and as the excursion train thunder
ing down toward it what the horror of the engineer
/ 4ia tha hridC Ung on
fire Right up before his eyes leaped the bright flames
| and the next instant he among them There was
no chance to stop. Had there warning, 1t would
have taken half mile to stop heavy tranand IL was
within yards OF the flames before they flashed their
signals into engineers face He passed over In
safety the first engine keeping the rails AS IL went
over the bridge fell beneath 1t and IL could only nave
been terrific speed OF the train which saved the Ves
of the engineer and his fireman The next engine went
down and instantly crashed into car coaches ped
one on top another, and in the twinkng OF an eye
nearly 100 people found instant death and hfy moro
were fatally for the wounded they were every
where.
"Ony the sleeping coaches escaped and as the startled
and half dressed passengers tumblng out OF them
they found such Of death as is rarely witnessed
and such do, that it seemed as human hands
were utterly incapable. Down in the ditch lay the
second engineer Engineer McCntock dead, ana Fire
man Applegate badly injured. On top were plled inc
three baggage cars over another Ike ehiu carf
house after lie has swept Il with his hand Then came
the six day They crushed into each oher
as cars never before aud three OF thcm
| were pressed into just space enough for one The
second had gone of its trucks crasheu through tue
car ahead it, smashing the woodwork and lay there on
the tops OF the seats, while every passenger In the ohS
car was dead dying underneath Out OF that car only
four peope came alive ON OF the second car lay the
third and II. floor smeared with blood The other
three cars were badly crushed, but they were
broken and twisted in every conceivable way
| christianity the air filled with the cries OF the
| wounded and the shreks of those about to die The
groans OF men and the OF women united to make
an appaling sound and above all could be heard the
| aconizng cries OF little children as In some Instances
they lay pinned alongside their dead parents And there
was another terrible danger yet to be met The bridge
was stu burning and wrecked cars were lying on
and around the fercey burning emberS Everywhere III
| the wreck were wounded and unhurt men, women
| and children whose lives could be saved, II they
| could be got out but whose death was certain
| n tho twisted wood OF the broken cars caught
fire To fight the fire there not drop OF water anl
only some fifty able bodied men who still had presence
of mind and enough to do their duty Inc ohy
light was tho ,ut Of the burning bridge Win us a'i
IN. afty men went TO work to fight the flames Earth
was the only weapon with which the foe could be ouSht
and 80 the attempt male 10 smother II out lhere
was no pick shovel dig It no baskets or barows'
TO carry IT, and desperate were they that they aug
their fingers down into tho earth, which long droun
| had baked almost as hard stone, aad heaped the
precious handfas. thus hardly wou upon the encroaeh
ing flames and with this earthwork, Du'i1 hahui ny
handful kept back the foe. While this was going on
other brave cept underneath the wrecked cars Do
ncath the fire and the wooden bar which held as prison
| ers go many precious lives, and with pieces OF
| hoard and sometimes their hands beat back the
| aames when they flashed up alongside some
| unfortunate wretch who pinned down ny
heavy beam, looked hopeessy, while 1t seemed as
II his death by certain The ears OF the WORKERS.
were filed with the groans of dying men, the ansshed
OF those whose death seemed certain uhcse
the terrible blaze could exngushed aud the cries OF
those too badly hurt care in what manner inc emu
were brought about only 1t would be quick 20 t"'S
dug I'D the earth with their hands reckless OF tHe ooo
srreamng ont from broken finger nails AM heap"ls ]"
mn in little mounds while all the while came the heart-
rending cry: For Gods sake don't lot us burn 70 DEATH
Finally the victory was the fire was put out aer
four hours OF and as Its last SPARKS usu away
light came up the East to take their place ana ua"n
| came up a scene OF h"rror'
"Whle the fight with fire had been going on men hau
been diving and not so many wounded to take
ont or the wreck "a there had been four hours before
But iu tho meantime, the country hal been arouseu'
helm had come from Chstsworth, Forest ana ripper ''''
and as tho dead laid reyeenty alongside OF eacn
other ont n tho corn ed there were ready hahus 10
take them into Chatsworth, while some Oh lhe
wounded we're carried Piper CITY, The dead huhpor
tta whila the wounded four times that
MANY The full tale Of the dead cannot however De 'oa
yet for days. -
"Cbatsworth was turned into n morgue. The town
hall the engine house, the depot were all full ot dead
bodies while every house IN the little village mas ls
ouota of the wounded When news OF the disaster was
flashed over wires prompt aid was se'. d. oe'''
Chief Surgeon Of the Toledo, Peoria ana western oa'
,spt an a special train and with him were two other
surgeons and their assistants. From Peoria also e'no
Doctors Martin Baker Fuegler aud Johnson. ana ro"
avery city In reach physicians ana irlenu'
hurried on TO help the injured Peoria sent
OF the Red Men and the Ancient order OF on'.oo
" Wv ,.-s y, hoth societies being the train. aud
40 ,,.r q o'clock In the lhornlng there we're plenty OK
poope 10 do the needed such prompt atten-
| hnn main hospital, and IN "